Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant made history in Minnesota on Sunday night, when he passed Michael Jordan for third place on the NBA’s career scoring list. Bryant beat Jordan’s record with a pair of free throws in the second quarter; he tallied 26 points on the night to total 32,310 for his career.

The Timberwolves delivered a strong performance at home, and fans saw several glimpses of young players finding their groove on the court. In the end, though, it seemed fitting that Bryant knocked down a couple of clutch shots to slip away with the 100-94 win. Shabazz Muhammad came off the bench to lead the Wolves with an impressive 28 points and nine rebounds, followed by rookie Andrew Wiggins with 16 points.

The game was an entertaining one, to say the least. LA and Minnesota exchanged leads five times throughout the game, and it all came down to the wire when Wiggins tied it up 94-94 at the free-throw line with under two minutes remaining. The Target Center crowd was electric, hoping for the Wolves to come away with the “W,” but Bryant stepped back and drilled a long three-point shot to put the Lakers up 97-94. Minnesota was forced to follow in an effort to slow things down, and LA made three out of four shots from the charity stripe to seal the game.

Although not getting the win they hoped for, several Wolves players expressed nothing but respect for Bryant and his career accomplishment. For a few of the younger players on the roster, they were only toddlers when Bryant started in the NBA. Wiggins was just one year old.

“I witnessed greatness tonight,” Wiggins said postgame. “A living legend passed Michael Jordan, who everyone thinks is the best player of all-time. That’s a big accomplishment. I’m glad I was there to witness it.”

Following the game, Bryant gave kudos to Wiggins, comparing the No. 1 pick to himself in earlier years.

“It was a strange feeling because I remember being Andrew Wiggins,” Bryant said. “I remember playing against Michael [Jordan] my first year. And to be here tonight playing against [Wiggins], seeing the baby face and the little footwork or technique thing that he’s going to be much, much sharper at later on, was like looking at a reflection of myself 19 years ago.”

The game stopped for a few brief moments when Bryant hit the milestone; the guard received congratulatory hugs and affirmations from both teammates and opponents, and Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor presented Bryant with the game ball before play resumed.

“It was different,” Bryant said. “I’m so used to being the villain all the time on the road it took a minute to kind of adjust. It felt good to be appreciated like that.”

Despite falling short of the win, head coach Flip Saunders called Sunday’s matchup a “learning experience” for the team. There were several glimpses of good things for the Wolves, as they shot 42.2 percent from the field and actually outscored the Lakers 54-38 in the paint.

Muhammad had arguably his best game of the season. The forward’s 28 points came in just over 27 minutes on the floor, and he continued to create shot after shot.

“When [Shabazz] goes in the game I think everyone knows … that when he gets it he’s probably going to look to score,” Saunders said. “They’re really trying to guard him now … and he still finds ways to create opportunities for himself. That’s a positive.”

Corey Brewer and Zach LaVine added that spark of energy for their team, adding 10 points apiece for the evening. Brewer also dished out nine assists and grabbed two steals.

Sunday’s loss dropped Minnesota’s record to 5-18, currently last in the Western Conference.

The Wolves will leave for a two-game road trip to face the Wizards on Tuesday (6 p.m. CST) and then the Celtics on Friday (6:30 p.m. CST).

Minnesota welcomed an injury-riddled Lakers squad Tuesday night, and the Wolves rolled over LA in a 109-99 final score. Minny had a huge first half and then struggled a bit to land its shots in the third quarter. The team hung on, though, and pulled out the win in the end. The Wolves have now won six of their last nine games, and last night’s “W” brings the team back to .500 and two spots out of the current playoff race. Kevin Martin led the evening with 32 points, followed closely by Kevin Love with 31.

Martin and Love proved unstoppable from the beginning, scoring 14 and 11 points, respectively, in the first period. Everyone hit their shots, and the team kept up a fast pace that kept LA from finding its groove.

Ronny Turiaf filled in for the injured Nikola Pekovic. Although Turiaf isn’t a top scorer in the game, the big man created a spark on defense that Minnesota needed. Turiaf added five rebounds and two blocked shots on the evening, and his single bucket came off a powerful slam dunk at the 6:18 mark of the first quarter.

The Timberwolves scored 38 points in the first quarter, and the second quarter went just as smoothly. The Lakers were completely disorganized in the first half, suffering from an injury bug the Wolves have experienced themselves. LA took the floor without Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol or Jordan Farmer, and Jodie Meeks went down early in the game with an ankle injury. The Lakers did, however, welcome back veteran point guard Steve Nash, who has played only six games this season with a back injury.

“I feel a bit selfish in that we lost, but it felt great just to play in the NBA again,” Nash said post-game. “Obviously the game didn’t go as we hoped, but for me personally that’s pretty cool to be back out there.” Nash finished the game with seven points and nine assists.

(photo credit: espn.com)

After going into halftime with a 68-52 lead, the Wolves found themselves floundering in the third quarter. A couple missed shots gave the Lakers a chance to come back, and LA quickly cut the deficit to eight. Despite missing so many players, LA’s reserves proved an athletic bunch that worked to tire the Wolves starting lineup. Minnesota refused to give up the lead, however, and never allowed its opponents to get closer than six points behind.

“It seems like the game is never going to be as easy as you like it, so you just have to persevere,” head coach Rick Adelman said. “That’s a scrappy team. I’ve looked at their games recently […]. They don’t go away.”

The “Kevins” weren’t the only ones scoring, as a few role players made a significant impact in the win. Corey Brewer had a strong with 11 points and three steals. JJ Barea also came up big, driving for a couple key layups in the third quarter and tallying 11 points on the evening.

Overall, Minnesota shot 44.6 percent from the field to LA’s 41.8 percent. Perhaps the team’s most impressive stat, the Wolves went 47 percent from downtown, knocking down eight three-point shots. Martin claimed four of the long balls, and Love had two.

Love’s performance marked his 25th game with 30+ points, which broke the record previously held by Kevin Garnett. It was fitting for Love to break KG’s record in this game, as it was an especially physical one for the power forward. Love took several bumps and bruises en route to this 31 points, including a play in the fourth quarter in which he took a frightening fall. As Love drove to the basket and went up for a shot, Robert Sacre hit him hard, knocking his legs out from under him midair. The forward crashed to the floor, his head audibly connecting with the hardwood. The All-Star stayed down for a few minutes but ultimately came back to finish leading his team to victory.

“I got real bad whiplash,” Love said after the game. “I haven’t seen the play, but it felt like my head snapped back pretty good and hit the floor […]. I’ve taken a few shots here and there, but I just wanted to stay in the game.”

“[Kevin] has incredible toughness,” said Martin. “That’s why we pay him the big bucks. That’s why he’s an All-Star starter.”

(photo credit: nba.com)

The Wolves schedule won’t let up much, as they head to OKC to take on the Thunder Wednesday evening and then on to New Orleans for a Friday night game. Saturday, the Timberwolves will be back at the Target Center to welcome Portland for a 7 p.m. matchup.

In-Arena Moment

Target Center fans received an entertaining halftime show Tuesday night. Tag Team was in the house, and the hip-hop duo rolled out their classic hit, “Whoomp! (There it Is).”

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